by Barry Anderson Ujena Fit Club Coach  In an earlier tip, we had talked about how writing a review of your good races can be a benefit when preparing for future races. The memory recall of feeling strong and competing well during a past performance can prove to be a psychological boost.

You can also learn a great deal about your training progress from your races…both good and bad races. When you run well, you gain reassurance that your workouts are, at least, meeting expectations. Chances are, your bad races will reveal specific deficiencies in your training program. Evaluate how you felt during these difficult races at various points. Did the pace seem too fast to handle during the first third of the race? Probably some faster tempo runs and some interval/fartlek would be helpful. Or, maybe you did start too fast and need to work on race pace feel during workouts. Did that hill in the second third of the race seem to take the strength out of your legs. Add some hill training, and even some weight training, to improve your overall strength. What about your finish? Were you able to maintain a solid pace in the final third of the race…and finish with a fast last 200 meters? Try adding some longer tempo runs and finish that workout with 100-200 meter strides.

Your races are like taking a test. Use them to identify your strengths and provide assurances that your training is effective. And also, use them to identify weaknesses and then incorporate appropriate training modifications to improve these areas.

By Alisa Harvey (2007 Masters Athlete of the Year) Your legs  will have a heavy burning feeling during runs which will  indicate that you may need to have either a day off or another  light jog instead of a workout. If your alarm wakes you up  before you naturally wake up in the morning it may be time to  assess the amount of sleep you are getting; you may need an  extra day off from running. A big signal that indicates that  you may not be ready to work hard again is when you try to do a  fast stride and you just can't seem to reach that last gear  like you could before. Day-to-day stresses will also play a  factor in how your body recovers during and after runs. A major  emotional event may mandate that you take at least one day off  from training. Listen to your body.

The amount of healing for any given runner depends on the  individual's gender, age, and health. A woman will need more  time to recover from any given workout than a man because of a  man's higher testosterone levels, muscle mass, and blood  volume. Masters runners generally need more time to recover due  to decreased hormone levels of men and women as they age. A  runner who is suffering from an illness will often cause  himself more damage or delay in healing if he attempts to work  out while sick. Be sure to consult your physician when you are  confronted with any type of illness before engaging in  strenuous exercise. Continuing to train through illness or an  injury can prolong healing.

Taking an after exercise plunge in an ice water bath (a tub of 12 to 15 degrees Celsius ice water) is a common practice among many elite athletes as a way to recover faster, and reduce muscle pain and soreness after intense training sessions or competitions. From elite runners like Paula Radcliff, the ice bath is a standard practice routine.

Tips for Resting Well 

1. Give yourself at least one day of complete rest per week.

2. Use a heart rate monitor to help assess your recovery

3. Never do two hard track sessions on consecutive days.

4. Always err on the side of too much rest between intervals.

5. Take an ice bath to assist in recovery. 

6. Get a sports massage; it is well worth the cost.

7. Stop the workout if you begin to slow considerably from  predicted pace.

Thanks Washington Running Report.

Or you can turn a garden hose on your legs after a run. An old horse trainers trick. Jack Foster the great masters runner from NZ used this all the time.
Richard Stiller 8/11/12 3:36 pm

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